They say fashion comes in cycles, but this year's wardrobes are feeling particularly Y2K. Maybe it’s the three years we lost to COVID, the perpetually bleak news cycle, or just a yearning for a simpler time, but the world of fashion has seemingly gone all nostalgic on us.
The Vans resurgence
Seeing Vans back in the limelight is little surprise, but wholly comforting all the same. Of course, the brand never fully fell off the radar, but its grip on the masses had certainly loosened in recent years.
However, the skate shoe's renaissance is well and truly on; searches are massively up, and the punky style of the iconic checkerboard slip-on is getting yet another curtain call.
It's Pokémon's birthday, and everyone's invited
Spurred on by Pikachu and co.’s 30th anniversary celebrations, we’ve seen plenty of brands getting in on Pokémon’s birthday action.
Both PUMA and adidas have offered up arguably their most recognised silhouettes as gifts to the childhood favourite: the Samba getting a Mewto-inspired makeover, while the Suede has been wrapped in Pikachu-toned electric yellow.
Crocs have also joined the festivities, with Pikachu, Gengar and Jigglypuff versions of the slip-on all hitting the shelves.
PUMA
Viral Cars Crocs
Speaking of Crocs-based nostalgia, the unlikely slip-on that has become too powerful for its own good continues to rule the world, apparently destined to sell out every time it gets a rerun. The latest iteration, which featured a blue Dinoco-inspired makeover, came and went in a flash and is already appearing on resale sites for twice its RRP.
Nike brings back Joga Bonito and Shox
Nike is tipping its hat to the halcyon days of 2026, Joga Bonito and O Fenômeno, having taken the unmistakable wavy upper of Ronaldo Nazário’s Mercurial R9 football boot and planted it upon the equally fabled Air Max 95 sole unit. Olé indeed.
That's not the only past glory the Swoosh has revisited, either. The alien-like aesthetic of Nike Shox, which first exploded onto shelves in 2000, is back in a big way. Nike has recrafted the OG shoe that was the toast of the playground more than two decades ago, as well as adding a sleeker, lower-profile edition to its catalogue.
Hollister's sell-out Twill Jacket
Once-upon-a-time responsible for the best-smelling shops in the world (probably), Hollister is also on the comeback trail, taking the store's 25th anniversary as an opportunity to reinvent itself, ironically, using the current demand for early noughties fashion to do so.
Specifically, the Southern Californian brand's Twill Jackets have become an improbable hit with an entirely new generation; regularly selling out, there are now even Reddit threads devoted to stock updates...now that's what I call nostalgia.
Oakley shades
Riding high on the wave of Gorpcore, Oakley's slope-ready shades have traded summits for the streets, a trend amplified by several savvy, high-profile collabs that include the likes of Palace, Kylian Mbappé, Aston Martin and Cactus Jack.
Graphic type tees
ASOS
If you're of a certain age, you'll all but definitely have had a friend/aquitance who turned up to all house parties in a 'Sex, Drugs & Sausage Rolls' T-shirt.
What you might not have thought was that once such pieces faded into the distance, they'd be back in rotation 20+ years on.
Oi Polloi rises from the ashes
Few names are held in the same esteem as Oi Polloi in menswear fashion circles; the brick-and-mortar spot in Manchester's Northern Quarter was the place to be if you had the vaguest interest in dressing well, and its closure left us with very heavy hearts.
The store's return – albeit as an online-only operation this time round — ticks a different kind of nostalgia box, in that the brand never felt like it had run its natural cycle, and the closure was met with overwhelming disappointment. Either way, the comeback is an incredibly welcome sight.
